Fastener for binoculars, cameras or like articles



R. B. BELLENI 3,326,431

CAMERAS OR LIKE ARTICLES June 20, 1967 FASTENER FOR BINOCULARS,

Filed Feb. 1, 1966 INVENTOE. BELLE/V1 R0 VMONO B Jim /0 United States Patent 3,326,431 FASTENER FOR BINOCULARS, CAMERAS 0R LIKE ARTICLES Raymond B. Belleni, 1240 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90017 Filed Feb. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 524,255 6 Claims. (Cl. 224-5) This invention relates to binoculars, cameras, and like items having a cord or strap for suspension about the neck of the user.

When binoculars and cameras are suspended from the neck of the user, but not held in hand, there is a substantial danger of their swinging and hitting some object, with consequent damage to the equipment. Some camera users provide a belt lanyard or the like, but the connection must be released by a tedious manipulation before the camera can be operated.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a unique fastener for holding binoculars, cameras, or other like neck-suspended articles in which the fastener is automatically released by the simple act of lifting the article for use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a unique fastener of this type the retainer member of which is adapted for use as a pin or tie clasp.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose, there is shown a form in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present specification, and which drawings are true scale. This form will will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of this invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of my improved fastener, shown in use;

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of the retainer element of the fastener, the lanyard element being shown in phantom lines; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along a plane corresponding to line 33 of FIG. 1.

By way of illustration, there is shown in FIG. 1 a pair of binoculars 10 having the usual eyes 12 and 14 to which the ends of a conventional neck strap 16 are secured. The strap 16 being quite long, the binoculars tend to swing from side to side or forwardly as the user walks, runs or bends over.

In order to secure the binoculars, I provide a fastener comprising a lanyard member 18 and a retainer member 20. The lanyard member 18 may be formed as a short chain having connector elements, such as conventional jewelers spring loops 22 and 24, detachably fastened respectively to the binocular eyes 12 and 14. The chain 18 has a length one and a half or two times the spacing of the binocular loops 22 and 24.

The retainer member 20 is formed, in this instance, as a tie clasp having a decorative form appropriate to the activity of the user. Thus the outer body part 26 is fashioned as a racehorse. Attached to the body part 26 is a pin 28 (FIGS. 2 and 3) cooperable with a clasp 30 in a Patented June 20, 1967 conventional manner to secure the users tie 32 in position. The body part 26 has an upwardly opening hook 34 that in frontal elevation (FIG. 1) simulates the stirrups. The hook engages about the central portion of the chain 18. Accordingly, the binoculars are restrained from swinging from side to side, and also restrained from moving forwardly.

The retrainer member 20 is carefully positioned at the proper elevation so that the chain 18 just rests in the hook 34. Accordingly, the weight of the binoculars will normally be sustained by the strap 16, thus relieving the clasp structure from undue load.

The lanyard chain 18 releases automatically from the retainer member 20 when the binoculars are raised to eye level. The chain 18 is easily repositioned after the binoculars are used.

The inventor claims:

1. In a fastener for a pair of binoculars or like article having a pair of spaced connector elements and a neck strap having a length to extend about the neck of the user with its ends secured to said connector elements; a short lanyard member having connector elements at each end cooperable with the connector elements of said article; said lanyard member having a free length between its connector elements substantially less than the length of said neck strap; and a retainer member having provisions for attachment to the clothing of the wearer, and having an open hook designed to be positioned so that the open end of the hook extends upwardly for detachably receiving the intermediate portion of said lanyard member whereby the article is restrained from swinging about the neck strap and whereby the lanyard member is automatically released from the hook when the article is raised.

2. In a fastener for a pair of binoculars or like article having a pair of spaced connector elements and a neck strap having a length to extend about the neck of the user with its ends secured to said connector elements; a short lanyard member having connector elements at each end cooperable with the connector elements of said article; said lanyard member having a free length between its connector elements substantially less than the length of said neck strap; and a retainer member formed as a decorative jewelry item having provisions for attachment to the clothing of the wearer, and having an open hook designed to be positioned so that the open end of the hook extends upwardly for detachably receiving the intermediate portion of said lanyard member whereby the article is restrained from swinging about the neck strap and whereby the lanyard member is automatically released from the hook when the article is raised.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 in which said decorative retainer member is formed as a horse, and in which said hook is positioned and proportioned to simulate stirrups.

4. In combination; a pair of binoculars or like article having a pair of connector elements; a neck strap secured to the connector elements for suspension of the article from the neck of the user; a lanyard member having connector elements at opposite ends also respectively connected to the connector elements of the article, said lanyard member having a length of about one and a half or two times the spacing between the connector elements of said article; and a retainer member having provisions for attachment to the clothing of the wearer, and having an open hook designed to be positioned so that the open end 3 4 of the hook extends upwardly for detachably receiving the References Cited intermediate portion of the lanyard member whereby the UNITED STATES PATENTS article is restrained from swinging and whereby the lanyard member is automatically released from the hook 652,891 7/1900 Cochranwhen the article is raised. 7 5 703,822 7/1902 Prahar 244 5. The combination as set forth In claim in wh ch said FOREIGN PATENTS retainer member 1s formed as a decoratwe ewelry item.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5 in which said 245,405 4/1912 Germany decorative retainer member is formed as a horse, and in which said hook is positioned and proportioned to simu- 10 GERALD FORLENZA Pnmal'y Examme' late stirrups. F. WERNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A FASTENER FOR A PAIR OF BINOCULARS OR LIKE ARTICLE HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED CONNECTOR ELEMENTS AND A NECK STRAP HAVING A LENGTH TO EXTEND ABOUT THE NECK OF THE USER WITH ITS ENDS SECURED TO SAID CONNECTOR ELEMENTS; A SHORT LANYARD MEMBER HAVING CONNECTOR ELEMENTS AT EACH END COOPERABLE WITH THE CONNECTOR ELEMENTS OF SAID ARTICLE; SAID LANYARD MEMBER HAVING A FREE LENGTH BETWEEN ITS CONNECTOR ELEMENTS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID NECK STRAP; AND A RETAINER MEMBER HAVING PROVISIONS FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE CLOTHING OF THE WEARER, AND HAVING AN OPEN HOOK DESIGNED TO BE POSITIONED SO THAT THE OPEN END OF THE HOOK EXTENDS UPWARDLY FOR DETACHABLY RECEIVING THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID LANYARD MAMBER WHEREBY THE ARTICLE IS RESTRAINED FROM SWINGING ABOUT THE NECK STRAP AND WHEREBY THE LANYARD MEMBER IS AUTOMATICALLY RELEASED FROM THE HOOK WHEN THE ARTICLE IS RAISED. 